Celebrating 2025
Celebrate 2025!
Mid-December is when I start thinking about my goals for the new year. I often have to temper the desire to dive into all the amazing things I want to do by pausing to acknowledge what I’ve already accomplished.
To set myself up for success, I like to reflect on what fulfilled me, examine what supported and what blocked my progress, and check in on my values. These reflections help me make intentional goals for the new year.
What fulfilled you in 2025?
Things that were fulfilling for me:
Learning and growth
Family milestones
Connection
Returning to feeling like myself (Aided by my work with an IFS coach)
What elevated you in 2025?
Things that elevated me:
Encouragement and support
Approaching challenges with levity and playfulness
Flexibility and openness
Allowing for rest in the form of entertainment (novels, movies)
What got in your way?
What got in my way:
Lack of rest and recovery
Rigidity and inflexibility
Criticism without sufficient encouragement
Not prioritizing effectively
Core Values Exercise
After thinking through what fulfilled me, what elevated me, and what got in the way, I like to check in on my values by listing three to eight words that describe me. The list I created is:
Integrity, levity, joy, connection, authenticity, growth, wellness
I have also been asking several of my clients and those who participate in my sessions. Below are a few words others have shared.
Responsible, dependable, innovative
Authentic, direct, empathetic, respectful, graceful
Hardworking, creative, happy, conscious, reflective, believing
Peace, love, faithfulness, learning, imperfection, wholeness
Growth, family, trust, resilience, accountability
What are your three to eight words? They can describe you now or be inspirational.
Moving Forward
While we recognize that rest, flexibility, and compassion matter, we often default to productivity over what sustains us. Naming our values, thinking about what elevated us, and recognizing what got in our way creates a foundation for the choices we want to make in the new year. Many people assume celebrating is only about feeling good, so they don’t prioritize it. If we instead see celebrating as a method for revealing what works for us, then we can incorporate it as a helpful planning step. I hope we can all pause to reflect on and celebrate our year so we can enter 2026 with more clarity about what we need to thrive.
What small experiment do you want to try in 2026 based on your reflections on 2025? Maybe saying no to something so you can prioritize a wellness activity, or approaching a challenging activity with playfulness/levity?
